The 3nd
by Wolf Demon Queen
Summary: The journey to the West has come to an end. The war on Shangri-la is over. The war in heaven once again rages on. What will happen to the four heroes? What’s this about the "Dragon King's Book of Legacy"? Who are these four familiar strangers?


_**The 3-nd**_

WolfDemonQueen

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**Chapter One:**

**Return Thy Memories**

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High above, a bloodstained sun rests in a gray shaded sky. The smell of burning flesh and sulfur mixed in the air as the war of wars was fought below the ever watchful eye of the heavens. Crimson blood and black ashes clung to the clothing of Shangri-la's greatest heroes as they fought their way through the battle and began to climb the many stairs of the Grand Western Buddhist Temple.

Lifeless eyes, diminishing heart beats and forgotten breaths were all that remained of the four. Their bodies barely capable of moving still managed to completely climb the stair case to the opening doors of the temple. The monks inside ran away as they saw the bloody four, fearing the near dead men that drug onward into the building.

Deep within the center of the stone structure, there was a large room, deck in gold and marble, in which the group forced their way in. Standing in the center of the room was the glowing outline of a tall woman. The woman was smiling at them.

"I'm glad you've finally completed your journey." She said in a soft voice.

Two of the group, Gojyo and Hakkai, stopped walking and stood in the door way as Goku and Sanzo continued onward. The two taller men's eyes began to close and their bodies became heavy.

"You may now rest dear worriers." The woman said and waved her hand kindly at the two who had stopped walking.

The two men's hands clasped each other's, their fingers intertwining. Seconds later, their bodies slowly slumped down to the floor as their eyes closed. Their breathing began to stop as their bodies completely lied down on the floor. Their hands never letting the other's go.

Goku slowly stopped waling and turned, dull golden eyes scanning sadly over his forever slumbering friends, tears slowly starting to leak from his eyes as he turned back to Sanzo, watching the taller man with even sadder eyes.

The blond monk had stopped walking and was now standing in front of the woman, the woman's dark colored eyes smiling kindly at him.

"You've come so far and have suffered so much." She spoke, "For this I apologize"

"It's such a shame; your sun kissed hair has become so blood stained." as the goddess spoke, she gently ran her long fingers through Sanzo's bangs, the blond not saying a word, not budging an inch.

The woman looked into the dull, lifeless violet eyes. "For what I am to say next, I am even sorrier for. I apologize once again my courageous worriers." The woman's eyes glanced at Goku, then to the two lying on the ground, "Your journey here on earth is now complete, but my dear worriers, my strongest fighters, your true fight…has yet to start. May you please…?"

She paused and looked into Sanzo's eyes and stepped back, taking the Sei-ten scripture with her. She watched as Goku approached Sanzo and took a hold of his robe's sleeve.

The blond man looked down to the monkey he'd come to care so much about. The brunette man leaned his head onto the monk's shoulder and closed his tired golden eyes. In reaction, Sanzo raised his hand and placed it onto Goku's which still held his robe.

"May you please forgive me…" the woman spoke up as she opened the scroll and looked to Goku. "Son Goku… Sei-ten Tai-shi, I hear by relinquish you of your punishment and return all of which you have forgotten!"

The goddess began to mutter words in the language of the heavens. These words echoed into Goku's ears and his eyes slowly opened as images flashed before him, the images of his forgotten past.

He could see three tall men, each smiling down at him. One had short red hair and a tattoo like symbol on his forehead, another with shoulder length brown hair and glasses and the third… the third was the most brilliant looking to him. The third man was by far the tallest of the three had long blond hair that was held back into a low pony tail and rested on his right shoulder.

As the images flooded his mind, he began to cry. He sobbed as the images of the groups happiest moments were soon replaced by their attempted escape from the heaves. He remembered how they died and the look in each of their eyes as he was told to run away and leave them behind, the saddest of smiles on each of their faces.

But what really broke Goku was when he remembered the voice of the blonde and what he said…shortly before he died _"Back then…it was you who held your hand out to me first…it was such a nuisance. Not for anything in the world…can I let go of your hand now."_(1)

Sanzo's hand that rested on Goku's tightened has his body began to feel very heavy. "Go…ku…?" echoed the warn voice of the priest.

Goku just looked up to the dying eyes of the blond and let his head fall, another memory falling into his eyes.

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_Memory_

_Goku slowly made his way into a room where Tenpo and Kenren had made them selves comfortable talking in front of an open window, followed closely by the ever watchful Konzen._

"_Goku?" Tenpo uttered in slight surprise as he saw the small boy walk in, "Are you alright, you aren't sleeping?"_

"_Ken-nii…Ten-chan" the boy muttered as he looked at the two men. _

"_Mh? What's the matter?" Tenpo asked as he leaned on the window._

"_Please don't go" Goku said in a tiny voice, "Don't leave me the way Nataku did, ok?"_

_The small boy paused for a second and then continued, Konzen's hand resting on his shoulder._

"_I don't care where I go as long as I can be with you; I'll go with you where ever you go!" the boy took in a deep breath before continuing once more. "I like you all a lot so…so…"_

_Kenren smiled and slowly kneeled in front of the tiny boy._

"_Stay with me always?" Goku finally uttered out, looking into the general's eyes._

_There was silence in the room as the three men thought of what the boy had said to them all._

"_Ohh-kay!" the energetic red headed general responded as he smiled at Goku, still kneed in front of the boy. "Goku stick out your little finger."_

_Goku paused and looked at Kenren's toothy smile with question._

"_C'mon, your finger" the man repeated._

"_My…finger?" the small boy asked in question._

"_What? Don't you know?" Konzen asked as he kneeled down behind the small child._

_Gently the blond god took a hold of the boy's wrist and lifted it up. In response, Kenren looped his little finger with Goku's, an even bigger smile gracing his face._

"_There promise!" Kenren said as he showed Goku their looped fingers. "That's called 'hooking fingers'. It's the sign that we've made a promise."_

"_Hooking fingers?" Goku mocked as he looked at his now free little finger._

"_It's alright Goku." Tenpo piped in, "We'll always… stay beside you!"_

_The three men all smiled down to Goku, silently vowing to always remain by Goku's side, promising to the God of Gods that if they were ever separated from the boy, they would return to him, every time!_

_End Memory (2)_

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The goddess continued to utter in the foreign language as memories continued to flood the boys mind.

As the boy cried, Sanzo looped his arms around the small monkey, wishing to stop his pain.

Suddenly the smaller man's body began to glow under Sanzo's hold.

In his weakened stated, a small wave of power that Goku's body emitted pushed the blond to the ground as the glowing boy started to shine brighter.

The goddess's words began to become louder as Goku started to change.

Goku's ears suddenly grew larger and pointed, his teeth became fangs, his short hair quickly became very long and his now open eyes slit. His torn clothes slowly started to be replaced with a brilliant white and gold armor and bleach white cloth; his once short yellow cape now longer and white. Goku's head band also changed, it was now much thinner but remained gold. (3)

The goddess stopped chanting after Goku's transformation was complete and she smiled sadly at Sanzo's tired look.

"It's now time for you to rest strong one."

Goku, still out of it, glanced wide eyed at the goddess and then to Sanzo whose eyes were slowly closing as he fought to say sitting up.

"No" he uttered and dashed to the fallen monk. "Don't leave me!"

Sanzo leaned heavily into the now Demon King's arms. "I…m"

Goku's eyes filled with tears as he watched Sanzo's violet eyes close.

"Sorry…"

That was the last thing that Sanzo uttered before his body fell limp and his breathing stopped.

The Merciful Goddess just stood and watched the scene before her unfold as the new found king slump to the floor and burry his face in the monk's bloody robes and cry.

"Rest like the dead and follow their steps" the goddess uttered as she watched Goku fall to the side, seemingly dead, still clinging to Sanzo's body.

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_**T.B.C. …**_

**(1)** Quote from Pages 28 – 30 of Chapter 19 in Saiyuki Gaiden.

**(2)** My text version of Pages 24 – 28 of Chapter 20 in Saiyuki Gaiden.

**(3)** Seen in color as one of the opening pages of Chapter 19 in Saiyuki Gaiden.

**WDQ:** Yes its short I know, but hell it's only the first chapter! So what do you think? This is a revised version of a story I had started but never posted! I've had this idea buried deep within my brain for YEARS and have now decided to roll with it! I hope you all like it so far, and please… no throwing of objects if I killed your favorite character! I killed one of mine for gahs sake! ...:3 PLEASE REVIEW!

**P.S.** You can find the Saiyuki Gaiden manga on .com


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